Phrases › Sidamo
Phrases
Early draft: There was little reliable source material for this language, so some lines may be wrong. Check with a speaker before relying on them.
In Sidamo, hello is Keere! and thank you is Maganu oohe. Here are 15 everyday Sidamo phrases with pronunciation, for travel and a first conversation.
How to say hello in Sidamo · How to say thank you in Sidamo · How to say goodbye in Sidamo · How to say please in Sidamo · How to say sorry in Sidamo
| English | Sidamo |
|---|---|
| Hello | Keere! Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). Keere is the attested noun "peace"; the attested verb keere haa'ri (lit. "take along peace") means "to greet". Using Keere! alone as a greeting exclamation is a built, natural-looking construction, not itself an attested greeting formula. |
| Goodbye | Hi'ne! Confirmed in Kawachi's academic grammar of Sidaama (PhD dissertation, acsu.buffalo.edu). Built from hi- ("to return", confirmed verb root) as a farewell meaning roughly "I'll be back/see you again"; not an attested farewell idiom. |
| Please | ballo Confirmed in Kawachi's academic grammar of Sidaama (PhD dissertation, acsu.buffalo.edu). (confirmed directly as "please"). |
| Thank you | Maganu oohe Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). (an attested set phrase meaning "thank you", distinct from the noun galata "thanks"). |
| Yes | ee Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). (attested interjection "yes"; also confirmed in Kawachi's grammar as ee.) |
| No | dee'ni Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). (attested interjection "no"; also confirmed in Kawachi's grammar as dee'ni.) |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Laalaati Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). (lit. "be sorry"; a distinct word from ballo "please". Gajajjiri, "excuse oneself", is a confirmed alternative for "excuse me" specifically.) |
| Please speak slowly | Suutunni hasaw' Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). Suutunni ("slowly, carefully") and Confirmed in Kawachi's academic grammar of Sidaama (PhD dissertation, acsu.buffalo.edu). hasaw- ("to speak") are both directly confirmed; the combination is assembled, not itself attested as a set phrase. |
| How much is it? | Meʔe waaga? Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). Both me'e ("how many/how much") and waaga ("price") are directly attested; the combination is assembled, not itself an attested sentence. |
| I'd like this, please | Tenne hasi'no, ballo Confirmed in Kawachi's academic grammar of Sidaama (PhD dissertation, acsu.buffalo.edu). has-i- ("to want") and tenne ("this") and ballo ("please") are each confirmed individually; the sentence is assembled, not itself attested. |
| The bill, please | Waaga, ballo Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). Waaga ("price") is attested; combined with confirmed ballo ("please") as a natural-looking but not itself attested request. |
| Where is …? | … hakko? Confirmed in Kawachi's academic grammar of Sidaama (PhD dissertation, acsu.buffalo.edu). (hakko "where" is directly confirmed; put the place name before it.) |
| Help! | Kaa'lo! Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). (attested noun/interjection "help".) |
| I need a doctor | Xagisaancho hasi'no Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama). Xagisaancho ("doctor") is attested; combined with confirmed has-i- ("to want/need", Confirmed in Kawachi's academic grammar of Sidaama (PhD dissertation, acsu.buffalo.edu)) as an assembled, not itself attested, sentence. |
| Can you help me? | Dand-toonni kaa'lo ass'? Confirmed in Kawachi's academic grammar of Sidaama (PhD dissertation, acsu.buffalo.edu). dand- ("can") and Confirmed in the CLLD Dictionaria Sidaama dictionary (Yri & Pepper, ~3,900 entries, dictionaria.clld.org/contributions/sidaama) kaa'lo ("help") are each confirmed; the full question is assembled, not itself attested. |
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